The song is also particular in that the bass uses a different tuning from the two lead guitars, the bass being in Drop D while the guitars are in standard tuning.

A sequel to this song called "Return to Hangar" was included on Megadeth's ninth album The World Needs a Hero. It tells the fictional story of the life-forms said to be contained in Hangar 18 coming back to life and killing those inside the building before escaping.[citation needed]

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The "Hangar 18" video is themed after the song's lyrical concept. It depicts the torture of aliens and, at the end, shows all the band members in freezing chambers. The video was shot in San Pedro, Los Angeles at a Water & Power building. Coincidentally, the band would film the video for "Crush 'Em" on this same site nine years later.[6] An edited version of "Hangar 18" is typically shown on MTV2 which has the song length cut down drastically. During the intro to the video the song "Dawn Patrol" from the Rust in Peace album can be heard in the background.

"Hangar 18" since its launch has had few covers sung by other artists, most of all, included in those tribute albums to the band. The group Fairlight covered the song on the albums of various artists Megaded: A Tribute to Megadeth in 1999 and This Is the News! The Megadeth Tribute in 2007.[7] The Metal Allstars covered the song from album Megadeth Tribute in 2007.[8] The String Tribute Players also covered the song in 2009 from album Megadeth String Tribute.[9] The band DeadXheaD has also covered the song. The bands Necropolis, Deathinition, Lateralis, Rust in Beer, Rattledeth and Dirty Black covered the song live. A cover version was featured in the video games Guitar Hero II and Band Fuse.

The song was referenced in The Simpsons episode "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming", where soldiers enter Hangar 18 itself, the alien inside the Hangar also references Megadeth for it is holding a green gem (named the "Prober") similar to the album cover in Megadeth's Rust in Peace, where Vic Rattlehead, the band's mascot, is seen holding the gem.